"So for us it is a waiting game to see if there are pups among the seed pods. That will take around six to seven weeks to happen."

The 80-year-old American agave that has gained national attention at the University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens is nearing the end of its run.

Most of the flowers have fallen off the plant, with only the flowers above the glass roof of the conservatory remaining. Horticulturist Mike Palmer said the flowers at the top of the plant should only remain for few more days.

"It will probably flower for another three to five days, then it will be completely done," Palmer said. "We have pollinated some of the lower branches by hand to be sure we could get some seeds. With the branches above the glass, we have some birds and bees visiting, so we are hoping we got some pollination."

A special viewing area outside the bonsai garden has been set up for people to view the flowers in bloom above the conservatory roof line, but Palmer advises people to get to the gardens quickly for one more look of the flowers, as they will not be around for long.

The next step for Palmer and his team is to see how many seeds are set and mature. They hope the seeds will generate little pups that will turn into agave plants.

According to the Botanical Gardens' Facebook page, as of Aug. 1, the agave was not showing any sign of pups, but there were plenty of bees in the area that could possibly pollinate the plant.

"If the seeds set, the flower part and the reproductive parts will fall off, except the pod," Palmer said. "So for us it is a waiting game to see if there are pups among the seed pods. That will take around six to seven weeks to happen."

As for the giant plant, Palmer said botanical gardens officials are waiting around to observe the structural integrity of the giant plant before making a decision on whether or not to bring it down.

"As we near October and November, we will make a decision on cutting the top of the plant off and putting back the glass," Palmer said. "We will want to do it before it gets too cold to have an opening in the roof for the other plants. We also want to make sure the stalk is sturdy and holds up, we don't want it to crush the other plants."

On July 28, the Botanical Gardens' Facebook page reported the agave's stalk held strong through a downpour, despite swaying in the storm.

Palmer is hoping the American agave can stay up for a few more months, citing discussions he has had with people that the Phipps Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh.

"I spoke to some at the Phipps Botanical Garden, and they watched to see how sturdy it was," Palmer said. "Sometimes, the flower stalk will stay up for many months or a year or two. Soon we will be able to determine how safe it is. If everything gets wobbly, we'll take the whole thing down.

"But as long as it's sturdy, we'll leave it up for people to look at."